NEW YORK – Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT have completed the first phase of the Ticketed Waiting Area refresh at New York Penn Station and have opened the space for customers at the Amtrak concourse on the upper level and 8th Avenue side of the station. As part of the refresh, customers enjoy new furniture and fixtures, including seats with electrical and USB outlets to charge devices, an upgraded ceiling complete with new LED lighting, a new information desk and a second entrance in close proximity to the NJ TRANSIT concourse, offering easy access toward the 7th Avenue side of the station.
“The refresh of the Ticketed Waiting Area at New York Penn Station is one of many ways Amtrak continues to focus on delivering a new standard of travel,” said Amtrak Board Chair Tony Coscia. “We are grateful for the support of our partners at NJ TRANSIT and are thankful for our customers’ patience as they can now enjoy the new amenities in the space.”
“The upgrade of the Ticketed Waiting Area makes the NJ TRANSIT concourse even more convenient for our customers and is a prime example of what our renewed partnership with Amtrak can achieve,” said NJ TRANSIT President & CEO Kevin Corbett. “Whether it’s new customer amenities such as this, or together taking on the mega-projects of national significance like the new Portal Bridge, we are firmly committed to leveraging our partnership to raise the bar on regional rail travel which enhances our customers’ experience and drives the region’s economy.”
The refresh project is the result of a $7.2 million total joint investment between Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT. The partners have already started construction on the second phase that is planned to be completed and opened by early Fall 2020. A temporary space to accommodate passengers during the construction period will be near Tracks 13 and 14.
Amtrak undertook the first steps to refresh the Ticketed Waiting Area in 2019 when it opened a Starbucks coffee bar in the space to provide customers with the opportunity to purchase refreshments and removed the exterior information booth to improve customer flow.
The Ticketed Waiting Area project is the continuation of several improvements Amtrak has been making to New York Penn Station since 2017 as it advances a plan to modernize stations, infrastructure and trains on the Northeast Corridor. Other completed work includes new LED lighting in the Rotunda area, refreshed restrooms, upgraded air conditioning, new furniture in the ClubAcela, and continued work on the Infrastructure Renewal program.
Posted August 3, 2020
Amtrak established the Great American Stations Project in 2006 to educate communities on the benefits of redeveloping train stations, offer tools to community leaders to preserve their stations, and provide the appropriate Amtrak resources.
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